When artists Susie Brown and Ziggy Campbell got here throughout a derelict major faculty on the market on the Ardgour peninsula close to Fort William in Scotland again in 2013, they had been instantly drawn to each the constructing and its location. “The area simply had one thing that pulled us in,” remembers Susie.
Initially constructed for trade staff’ kids in 1966, the varsity was deserted in 2010: “It had been mothballed. It appeared like there had been some sort of occasion that had triggered the pupils and employees to flee at velocity, leaving all the pieces behind. The outside was fairly rotten. the roof leaked, and home windows had been damaged,” she says. Surprisingly for the duo, seeing the constructing “at its worst amplified the majesty exterior.” The modernist property on the banks of the narrows between Loch Eil and Loch Linnhe clearly had large conversion potential.
House and price range had been key priorities on the time. The couple had been residing in Edinburgh for 10 years and had at all times rented someplace giant sufficient for each of them to have a house studio. Nevertheless, when their landlord determined to finish their lengthy tenancy, they struggled to search out someplace inexpensive to dwell and keep on their artistic practices. Exploring industrial areas was one doable avenue, which finally led them to the 300-square-meter faculty and to an entire new chapter within the West Highlands.
From the second they moved in, “the work was full on for round 5 years.” Ziggy (aka Lomond Campbell) had simply launched his debut album, and one monitor specifically, The Lengths, appeared to sum up the lengthy highway that lay forward of them. Susie turned the mission supervisor and builder whereas Ziggy tried to usher in money—a mortgage was out of the query because of the non-standard business standing and dilapidated state of the constructing—and assist in between work journeys. Neither of them had any renovation expertise however had studied sculpture and had been working towards creatives. “It seems that this armed us with lots of problem-solving expertise and a capability to take a look at any new job as a chance to discover a brand new course of,” Susie says.
Along with rebuilding a spot to dwell and a spot to work, the couple reworked the unique faculty kitchen right into a rental annex to permit structure, artwork, design, and nature lovers to take pleasure in a peaceable break within the Highlands.
Let’s have a more in-depth take a look at their intelligent renovation and distinctive condominium providing.
Pictures by Matt Butter, David Van Dartel, Megan Redden, and Mark Newton, courtesy of The Lengths Studio.
